


Save Him

by Gilthlonel



Series: With Me [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XIII-2
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-25
Updated: 2013-07-13
Packaged: 2017-12-16 03:13:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 14,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/857100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gilthlonel/pseuds/Gilthlonel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lightning has come back and she needs Hope emotionally and Hope needs Noel and she's going to bring him back before the New World starts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Snippet 16

**Author's Note:**

> All right so, this is short... But about 6 parts so look forward to it!
> 
> Also! I've started a new story which is rather massive because... well that's my life. Look for first part of that today as well!

It was without ceremony that Lightning woke up. It was as if she was asleep one moment and her senses tensed and she woke up. She was still sitting on the throne of Etro and all that she could sense at first was that her ass was numb. Stretching her arms above her head, she found that she still wasn't free of all this save the world business. A letter was laying in front of her on the dais.

'Find where hope lives on, and then you will know your mission.'

Scoffing she pocketed the card into her arm and then stumbled as she was assaulted by feelings, visions and pain. When she came to, she was on her hands and knees with knowledge of Bhunivelze the true God who had taken her own as his warrior. Lightning was sure that life just couldn't get much worse.

*********************

As Lightning traveled this new world, she was utterly surprised by what it had become. A silent observer, she had a task with only 13 days yo fulfill, but an hour or two of figuring out her focus was surely allowed right? The nearest place was a small dusty town anyways. And she knew that these people were pure. Not a single person she had to worry about saving.

At least until she reached the end of town. She felt her heart stop as she focused on Hope, encased in crystal. It didn't seem possible that such a thing would happen. She approached it fast, as memories came back to her. Using her powers to make the paradox that gave him the brand.

If she was still a god's champion, then surely she had the power to resolve this right? She circled the crystal, thinking hard about what to do. It was obvious that when it happened the man was headed somewhere. No one would have seen it, as hidden in the forest it was. She wondered idly where he had been heading.

Finding his left wrist she studied the paradox and thought about how she'd made it. Then she looked up at him. If he had completed his focus it must have been recent. Or maybe it was tied to her waking up. She grasped his wrist firmly.

"Wake up." She ordered, putting every fiber of her being into it.

With a sickening crack and a lurch, Hope fell forward into her. Warm flesh again and she groaned weakly at how much heavier he was then he'd been way back then at age 14. It'd been over 1,000 years since they'd last seen each other.

"How... What?" Hope stared down at her wide-eyed. He'd been walking home about 6 months ago when he'd become crystal. He'd know because in his prison he'd been aware. Probably too much aware considering how it hurt.

"I can't believe that worked." Lightning thought as she pushed him off. As she sat up she studied him and thought about what his power and his focus was. And how she could tell that it didn't seem that he was altered by chaos in anyway.

"L...Lightning?" He asked quietly as he got a good look at her. "Am I still dreaming?"

"Of course not." She rolled her shoulders and watched him carefully when it occurred to her what must have happened. "What were you doing before you turned to crystal?"

"I..." His mouth snapped audibly shut. He couldn't tell her that he'd been heading to a place away from people to end his own life. 270 years alone had been far too much. Without Noel, he had spurned most contact with the outside world, only looking for solutions to ending this. The end of the world was coming and he couldn't sit by. But living on had become too hard. "The brand is gone?!"

"I ended your paradox... That's why you woke up." She stood up. "Do you have a place we can go talk?"

"I..."

"Focus Hope."

He nodded weakly as he took her in, the armor and the emotionless look on her face. Same old Light, he thought both happily and miserably. He wondered how long it would take her to break down.


	2. Snippet 17

"So let me get this straight. The original god, Bhunivelze woke you so that you can save the world?" Hope asked quietly.

"Well, not exactly." Light rolled her shoulders before she relaxed back into the threadbare couch. "The world will end in 13 days. Well, not quite end. Basically Bhunivelze will destroy this world recreating the old one. The chaos will be sucked out back into the realm of death... Along with all who are infected with chaos. It won't be pretty but those who have been freed will be protected."

Hope nodded weakly. "It's been 500 years Light. You'll have your work cut out for you."

"Would you be willing to let them die? If too many souls are dragged into the unseen realm... It will trigger a reaction that will destroy all three realms. Merely destroying this one for a little while is nothing."

"What will actually happen?" Hope asked quietly.

"All who are saved will be protected by Bhunivelze... and then the humanity will flourish on your Ark." She reached out and took his hands. "You are the 'hope that lives on' the one who has built the Ark to save everyone."

"You always did say... that I was actually hope." He laughed, a watery chuckle that made him look much more like the boy she left behind and not the man she found in his place. 

****************************

Hope was busy at work when Light came in and she felt bad as she disturbed his work. She had her own set of work she needed him for. She dropped down and put up her feet. He turned around with a thin smile on his face and handed her a small datapad.

"This holds the information of what areas have the most corrupted people. I figure that you don't have to individually save most people just break the hold that chaos has over certain areas. It's only people that have truly given up that you might need to face directly.

"Like Snow." She replied as she remembered what Hope had told her earlier about the passionate young man being destroyed by Serah's death and losing himself into chaos. "I don't really have a choice in saving him." She laughed lightly. "Serah will be alive when the world is restored. She's the only person there right now... Waiting for us in crystal sleep."

"But here..."

"Is a husk created by chaos. It's hard to explain really. But as Etro's champion she can't die like Yeul, but she also couldn't come to this world either." Lighting murmured. "Another we'll have to confront is your Noel as well."

"He's not mine." Hope muttered into his chest but when he looked up Lighting was smiling softly. Doing this work had softened her. Her tiny smiles coming a bit easier now after only 5 days of slogging through fighting back the chaos. They had mostly been doing reconnaissance and freeing smaller settlements, not wanting to enter battles they couldn't win.

"When I was in Luxerion... He attacked me." She ignored what the silver haired man said completely. "Didn't believe who I was. He thinks everyone is dead."

"He probably also thinks it's his fault." Hope replied quietly.

"What happened?" She asked quietly. "I thought he'd be with you."

"320 years he suffered, fighting back from the chaos to stay by my side. It was too long I think." Hope swallowed hard. "And out of everyone he was probably the most exposed to it considering that he actually had contact with the heart of Etro."

"Hope..." She reached out to him and took him in her arms. Something that seemed only reserved for him and Serah. "He'll come back."

"He's suffering Light. And I can't do anything. I couldn't go to him at all." Light swallowed as she caught on to his guilt. She wondered if he turned into a crystal to keep from succumbing to anguish and being consumed by chaos.

"From what I can tell... he isn't really Noel anymore Hope. Hiding yourself, keeping your self safe is better then what most likely would have happened if you tried to stay with him. He would have attacked you... maybe even killed you." Light's voice took on a pained tone then. In something that Hope would have never imagined in a million years, Light clutched him tightly. "I know it's hard but loosing you would have been the worst. For all of us."

"Everyone says that... I not anyone special." He realized that it was something that was odd about him and Light. Their relationship, as platonic as it was, was a lifeline. Both were highly selective but completely needed touch to help each other through.

"You are so special... So important." Light pulled back and that smile was back on her face. "Don't you understand? You... Hope you built the new world. And now it's up to you and me to fill it with people."

"And Noel?" He asked quietly, not looking at her but clutching her desperately.

"Right now he's an enemy." Light pulled him back close, feeling the minute shivers passing through him. "For now."


	3. Snippet 18

Hope was trembling as he looked at the reports of Noel and what he was doing. Apparently when Noel left him, he had been ensnared by the Oracle Drive. By the prophecies and by his own guilt. The chaos had engulfed him and now his dear partner believed that the only way to redeem himself was for the prophecy to be fulfilled.

A prophecy that Hope couldn't abide by. He swallowed hard and leaned his hands against his face. Noel believed in the end of the world. In a way that required the 'keys of hope' to be destroyed. He had fallen prey to the same shit that those who followed the end of the world cults believed. He shoved the datapad away and turned away from his desk.

"Don't fall apart on me now." Lightning commented and he jerked to stare up at her.

"I thought you were still out for the day." He commented quietly.

"I came back to regroup." She looked a bit careworn. "I know that I need to get Snow under control but I just... He's so different now."

"Losing Serah was hard on him." Hope pointed out and she laughed softly.

"Seeing me as a supposed liberator must have been worse. She would have been with him if it wasn't for me. I've thwarted their relationship every step of the way and yet they've always been stronger then me. Seeing him in such pain... the embodiment of mourning, makes me feel like I didn't love her enough."

"Snow's just too damn flashy." Hope snorted and leaned into her. "Look at us. I should be helping you figure out how to subdue him."

"And Noel?"

"I'll deal with that hurdle when we face it." He looked away and she studied him and then decided firmly.

"Noel is our next target. He wants to be good... to help Hope. We can save him. I know we can. I'll bring him home." She smiled at him thinly. "After all... what kind of big sister would I be if I didn't?"

"Younger sister." Hope bit back as he smiled weakly at her. "I'm older now... 8 years."

"Just because time doesn't make sense doesn't mean you can suddenly act like you're the adult around here." She wrapped her arms around him as she was often prone to doing now. 5 days left, it was half over now. He returned her hug just as tightly, still not use to being bigger then her, but it felt good. It felt like he was finally protecting her, even if it was just emotionally. "I'll get Noel back, I promise you... for all that you've done for me."


	4. Snippet 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, so I didn't post the other story... Once I finish this update, I'll post the other...
> 
> Oh! and I realize there's a lot of Lightning in this but well, she's very important to Hope and I figure that until they get more people back on their side that they would come to rely on each other very much. Especially since they are trying to resist chaos.

As much as Light knows it's her job, she really hates it when she has to go into Luxerion. The city reminds her of Nautilus only darker and more eerie. She has a feeling that's the touch of chaos. She also hates coming into this city because she knows that Noel is lurking around and that he thinks she's come to destroy the world. She knows that it's his guilt at work, she trusts Hope's explanation more then anything. It was really the fact that well...

She felt guilty. She'd sent him to guard over Serah because their goals at the time had aligned and she'd do anything for her sister. But she feared she'd was the one responsible for the fact that the young man was now broken. And the only other person that she loved unconditionally, Hope, loved him and she had ruined it.

Seems like she always ruined it for everyone when she thought about Snow and Serah as well.

"Back so soon?" Noel stepped out of the shadows and she immediately placed her hand on her sword. "I would have thought you'd be off doing whatever it is it takes to destroy a world."

"You really are delusional." She rolled her eyes and walked past him. He grabbed her arm and turned her around.

"I won't let you destroy this world after all we went through." He hissed and she shoved him back.

"All we went through." Lightning repeated bitterly, her insides churned with anger. She shoved him again. "Is that all you can really say? As if I didn't spend 500 years fighting Caius in Valhalla. As if I wasn't part of the six l'cie that battled the Fal'cie."

"But you are the one that set Serah on the path to die. And Snow to become whatever the fuck he is. And what about Hope? He's a rock sitting somewhere in the lowlands. And the others? Who know where the hell they are. Probably dead as well if you're back."

"Hope is fine." She hissed out as she gripped the hilt of her sword tighter, she wanted nothing more then to bash him in the head a few times with the blunt end of it and make the hunter see the truth. "He's helping me. And the others are fine. Even Serah."

The rage that crossed Noel's face at her words surprised her. Corrupted him might be, and maybe even a bit insane, but she had probably pushed a button one to many. He jumped at her, his hands wrapped around her neck as they fell to the ground.

"If what you say is true I will kill you!" He shouted as she brought her hands up to pull at his. "If you broke his crystal I will kill you!"

"He's awake!" She gasped back as his hands tightened. It hadn't occurred to her that Noel would consider Hope being safe that way. His shock at those words loosened his hands slightly and she managed to pull them off rolling them over so that she was over him. "He's awake and he's fine."

"He's in danger if he's awake!" Noel hissed, grappling with her as they rolled again, punches being deal out with little accuracy. "You're a danger to him!"

She managed to get him under her again and his wrist pinned on his chest. "If you think I would hurt him, you know nothing about me."

Noel's nostrils flared as he glared her down saying nothing. The street that they had been fighting in was now empty of most people. Fights happened all the time and most people in Luxerion simply turned the other way to escape being drawn in. She knew he was trying to figure out a way to beat her.

"Hope is fine." She whispered softly. "He's waiting for you."

A dry sob was released from Noel as he turned his head away. She wasn't surprised at his composure being lost. If she remembered correctly, there were only a handful of people that truly mattered to the hunter. And the only one seemingly left was Hope. "Let me go."

"So you can attack me? I think not." She snorted.

"Let me go! I have to see him." He fought against her.

"He's not a crystal!"

"Then he's dead." Noel stated solemnly and Light stared at him wide eyed. His insistence at Hope's mortality scared her. She had turned off her comm for this trip but now she was tempted to check in with Hope and make sure that he was back on the Ark. She sat back slightly, Noel showed no signs of fighting anymore.

She stood up and crossed her arms. "Why? Because you'll kill him?" She asked bitterly.

"If he's not dead already then yes." Noel murmured. "I won't let him be corrupted in this way."

Lightning bit her lip in frustration. Grief couldn't have taken him this far. Especially since his grief spawned from not being able to keep alive those he would protect. 

"Then what's the point of this?" She finally shouted in his face. "Why are you doing this at all?"

"Those who die... that aren't corrupted will be reborn in the new world." Noel stated firmly. "It's too late for me. I won't let it be too late for him."

"If he's fucking dead it won't matter!" She shouted in his face.

"The Orcale Drive doesn't lie." He turned to walk away. "The next time I see you... If his crystal is gone, I will kill you."

Lightning swallowed hard. She turned her back on Noel and headed in her intended direction. She didn't want to admit it but, looking at Noel the way he was now she wasn't sure if there was a way to save him.


	5. Snippet 20

Hope sighed as he sent out the call to Lightning. It was pretty late now and she should have checked in already. He's fingers danced over the keys of his laptop as he set up the connection and when he could in. All he could hear at first were the sounds of swords clashing and other battle sounds.

"Hello Mr. Hope Esthiem." Light teased as she finished her battle. Hope felt himself flush with annoyance.

"Come on now." He rasped out embarrassed. "Just call me Hope."

"Well, I thought it sounded nice and official since you are older then me." She laughed lightly as she walked away from the people that she had just freed of chaos' control. It wasn't fun work, and she really hated it, considering that most often it involved beating gruesome monsters until they turned back into the people they really were.

"Haha." The silver haired man grouched. "You wouldn't say that to my face."

"Hey, hey... I can still win a fight against you." She stated as she boarded the train to go back to the lowlands and then onward to the Ark.

"So you call me like I'm older but still treat me like a little brother. Thanks." He snorted as he turned on the rest of the tracking software to pinpoint her position. "It looks like everything is working on this end. I'll see you when you get back."

"All right." Light replied as she sat down. Now was the hard part. If Noel knew that Hope had been a crystal then maybe he'd been one longer then they initially thought. Especially if Noel had decided why it was that Hope had been a crystal. She groaned softly, she was not looking forward to this conversation.

***************************************

"So.... I have a question." Light stated as she leaned back on the couch. Hope was furiously at work on his computer realigning the cameras and other data collecting modules of the old Academy system to help them stay connected on her trials, especially for when they went after Snow, their first target.

"And that would be." Hope slowed down and turned to face her.

"What were you doing when you turned into a crystal... Do you remember?" She asked quietly. "The focus was rather broad."

"Er..." He swallowed and turn back away. "I don't know how that's really relevant to what we are doing now.

"It's very relevant I think." Lightning sat up nervously. "Was it something that you are afraid to tell me? I would never judge you Hope, you know that right?"

A low sob sounded from the silver haired man and Lightning was on her feet within seconds, pressing her hands down on his shoulders. He lifted a hand up to rest on hers, the other bracing his upper body against the desk. 

"Please..." He whispered softly. "Can we not talk about this?"

"Did someone hurt you?" She asked, her voice positively lethal as she spoke but he shook his head. She didn't move though and neither did he. Hope tried to wait her out, but it became obvious rather quickly that Lightning wasn't going to let it go. He swallowed hard.

"It was too much." He finally spoke and Lightning jerked to attention. "It was all too much. 3AF... losing Mom, losing Vanille and Fang. And then I lost you and Sazh and everyone else. It was easier before. I was doing something, something useful. I believed that in the end that you and the others would come back. Hell, even sleeping in the gravity well helped."

He stopped speaking then and she sighed softly. She was going to wait him out. She had to know. It was better that he tell it in his own way then for her to drag it out of him. She had a feeling that when he was crystalized that he was on the verge of becoming corrupted.

"When time stopped... It wasn't so bad at first. Noel was with me. We took care of each other, relied on each other. But then he left."A pause and a deep swallow. "Being alone is a terrible thing Light. I was alone for over 250 years. Then came the dreams, nightmares and I need someone but there wasn't and I couldn't take it... I wanted to die. I turned to crystal when I was on my way to kill myself."

It felt like a weight was taken off of Hope's chest to admit how bad he'd felt. How bad he still felt. Light coming back had given him something to work with, to live for. His squeezed her hand tighter. "You and Noel are all I have left now. I can't... I can't lose you two... please." 

Lightning closed her eyes, feeling tears rising in her own eyes. The first 500 years after the Fall had been spent watching over everyone and fighting Caius. But after that she had been crystal herself... Bhunivelze waiting until the right moment to wake her... No different then Bartandulus with Cid Raines. She slid her hands down and hugged Hope tightly.

"We have a job to do... somethings you just do." She swallowed hard. "Stay with me Hope. We've always been a good team right?"


	6. Snippet 21

Hope jerked open the door and rushed out into the night. Light had never called him for aid before, but first time of everything he thought. She was nearby in one of the settlements. He climbed aboard the chocobo that he kept near by and rode hard into the village. He found her on the outskirts of the village in a fight with Noel. They were both worse for wear but Noel wasn't weakening. Realizing that Light had brought him here to help her break chaos' hold on his partner both heartened and disturbed him.

Light smiled grimly at him for the brief second she had before Noel attacked again. Both amazing fighters Hope knew he had no chance of actually interfering in their battle. Noel thundered forward with his broad sword at the fore to block Light's blade and he turned with his short sword to slam it into her side. Light twisted her small shield up and stopped the other in his tracks.

Light shoved him back with a forceful kick and brought up her blade, slamming the shield into it, so that it transformed back into a gunblade. She aimed the gun at the hunter and glared him down. 

"Turn around." She hissed, her gun pointed at his head.

"So you can shoot me in the back?" Noel hissed. Lightning sent a shot at his leg. Noel dodge and the bullet tore through his shin as he groaned in pain. Hope moved forward and grabbed him as he stumbled.

"Noel, wait..." The silver haired man pulled his partner down before he could realize what had happened. Noel turned to look at him, his eyes wide. They stared at each other with wide eyes for a moment and then Noel turned around and pulled Hope to him.

Hope screamed as his arm was painfully wrenched behind him. Noel had dropped his larger sword, the smaller one pressed into his neck. The silver haired mage twisted slightly. "Noel, let me go."

"Is this how low you've sunken?" Noel hissed glaring at Light. "Hope is dead." He shoved the smaller man forward and Hope gasped in pain as he landed on Noel's other sword, cutting into his leg. He pulled back and looked up at at Noel, to find the short sword still pointed at him

"Are you really so blind?" Light taunted and the look of pure pain that crossed Noel's face caused Hope's own chest to crumple.

"I don't know who this is to fool you... but Hope is dead Light. He died a long time ago." Noel shook slightly, his face a mask of grief. "The chaos possessed him. And I killed him. I couldn't let him... He was going to break the crystals."

"That didn't happen Noel." Hope jumped up to his feet and pushed Noel's blade aside and cupped his face. "I'm right here. Look at me Noel."

Noel touched his face and lifted a hand up to touch Hope's face. His eyes misted over in tears. A soft kiss was placed on Hope's forehead, a touch he missed so much. Noel stared into his eyes as if he was trying to see straight into his soul. It happened so fast. One minute Noel was touching his face and the next Noel was sinking into him as Hope heard the clatter of the short blade behind him.

"Noel?" Hope curled his arms around him. As they sunk to the ground he realized that Light had taken the distraction to shoot him. As the blood gushed from the wound in the hunter's back he glared up at Light in anger. Hope choked on his words as he tried to speak. "What? Why?"

"He was going to kill you!" Light protested as she marched forward. "Heal him and the we can figure everything else out."

Hope swallowed hard and looked down into Noel's eyes. The other was staring at him wide and in disbelief. He clutched Noel tightly and breathed out healing spell, after healing spell but Noel wasn't healing. He started casting cures, curas and even curajas. But nothing worked. Lightning approached him pulled out her stock of healing items but those didn't work either.

Noel pushed at Lightning, trying to get her away. Realizing his intentions, she squeezed Hope's shoulder and slowly stepped away. Noel brought his hand up and cupped Hope's face. "Hey, don't make that face."

"You can't leave me." Hope gasped as he clutched his partner tighter. It was if nothing had ever changed between them. He kissed Noel's trembling lips and pressed their foreheads together. "Please don't go."

"Hey." Noel whispered. "We knew it was going to happen sooner or later right? I'm glad that I didn't kill you."

"Shut up." Hope gasped as he watched Noel slowly fade away. He clutched tighter at the body but the body was fading away and that shouldn't haven't been possible. He could feel the scream building in his throat as he looked up at Light in horror...

************************

The raspy scream that ripped out of Hope as he sat up in bed and stared at the darkened room with his heart beating painfully in his chest. He pressed his hands to his chest and collapsed into tears. Why, why had he turned to crystal? Why hadn't the powers that be let him die. He was tired, he was so tired. He pressed his trembling lips together and closed his eyes. He tired to think of Noel, but his mind in the crushing terror was transported back to 3AF.

Hope stumbled to his feet. He scrambled for the door. He had to get out of here, make it all stop. It was too much. He stumbled into the kitchen and then arms were around him stopped him. He trashed and then fought back in a fury.

"LET ME GO!" Hope growled as he shoved the arms off himself and turned around to slam his fist into his attacker. His hand was grasped and he was twisted around again. Whoever it was, was a trained fighter. He broke the hold and turned and slammed into the person sending them both to the floor.

"WAKE UP!" A female voice yelled at him and Hope jerked before sinking into the ground beneath him as he focused on Light pinning him to the floor.

Light's eyes were wide as she stared down at her little, older brother. Hope's eyes were wide, his breath short and panicky. She could feel his heartbeat going out of control from his pulse. She idly realized that he probably wasn't seeing her, fully lost in a panic attack.

"Please... stop... I..." He was twisting in her grip and it slammed into her as a stark realization that he was probably lost in the past. And whatever part of it that it was she didn't want to know. She relaxed her grip and slide off him. He didn't fight her anymore. Just curled into himself.

Light laid down beside him and slowly pulled him against her. At the comforting touch, his breathing began to slow down. His eyes still tightly shut.

"Noel?" Hope whispered softly. "Noel... don't go."

Light swallowed hard as she realized thought about what they had talked about earlier. Guilt pooled low in her stomach, he was probably back in the same mindset that he'd been when he'd turned into crystal. She eased him closer to her and felt him stiffen at first.

"Hey Hope." She whispered as she tugged him a little closer. "Noel's gonna come back. Just wait a little long okay? Please?"

She found herself lying with him on the floor for the better part of the rest of the night, gentle pleading with him. Light have never thought that she would see Hope more broken then he'd been back during their l'cie days but this... He had lost everything. She swore to herself firmly, she was going to bring Noel back to him. There was no other options.


	7. Snippet 22

"Are you really going to fight me?" Noel asked angrily as he stared at Lighting. "Showing up now as if it changes anything."

"I'm here because I have to be. All of the knights are here if you think about it." She smiled grimly. "Sazh, Daijh, Snow, Hope, you and me." She lifted her sword towards him. "The children of Etro, the warriors of Bhunivelze."

"You don't make any sense." Noel growled as he leaned back against the wall. Lighting shrugged lightly, in the strange shadows caused by the chaos laden sky, he hair sometimes appeared stark white. He closed his eyes, relaxing but she knew better then to let her guard down around someone like him. Like Fang, he was a warrior child of Pulse, wild and unpredictable.

"We were not chosen by Etro... our services were lent to her. The world will end, and when the new world starts... Serah's there Noel. She's waiting."

"SERAH IS DEAD." He attacked swiftly, both swords coming through the air to bear down on her. Lighting dodged and rolled to her feet and brought her own weapon up to stop him.

"Maybe she is... Maybe she isn't... But what about those who are living. Or do you not care anymore?" Her words were vicious and she would have felt guilty if she hadn't been living with Hope and seeing his pain up close and personal.

"I know the world is ending." Noel hissed as he pressed on her harder. "What do you think I'm fighting for?"

"And is that why you left Hope?" She asked tersely. He paused for a second and she shoved him back.

Taking the advantage, Lighting attacked furiously. Slamming the flat of the sword into his shoulder she knocked him to the side. Then into his back sending him sprawling into the dust.

"He's waiting for you... like the wonderful fool he is. He's waiting for you and you don't even deserve it. He told me. How you lied to him. How you left him." She sneered at him.

Noel rolled over, his face pained and angry. He rushed her, his swords swinging to hit her. She brought up her sword to block the large sword and jumped back to avoid the short sword. He slammed her against the wall.

"So funny to hear that from you. 1000 years he's waited for you." He growled.

"Aeroga!" She shouted sending him flying back into a wall.

"I was dragged away by chaos into the realm between... I had no choice but to go. I was written out of history. And you... you left him of your own choice. Knowing how badly he needs you. Knowing how much it hurts to be left behind." She switched her sword into a gun as he came flying at her again.

The first bullet tore through his shoulder and the second his leg. Noel struggled to stand up and Light watched as he tried to heal himself. He wasn't a good healer, that much was obvious even after all these years. He stood up, unstable. Glaring at her.

"Are you going to kill me then?"

"Of course not." She scoffed at him. "A coward's way out for a coward." The bullet that tore into Noel next hit him in the stomach sending him to the ground. His groan of pain was far more satisfying then it should have been. "You honestly think that I would hurt Hope more because of you? Aren't you a little old to be so childish."

"You said it yourself... he doesn't deserve me." His tone was hollow, broken. She was getting through to him in the most brutal way possible. Light paused for a moment not sure if she could really give the final blow. She hadn't told Hope her plan to break Noel from chaos influence because she knew the silver haired man would never agree.

"And so that's it huh? You just give up like that." She leaned down over him as she sheathed her weapon. "If you won't go to him then I don't know why I even bothered. I'm not going to kill you. If you really are this weak you're a waste of my time."

She started to walk away, leaving him bleeding. She slowly counted in her head. He had to call out to her, she had seen chaos lose it's hold over him. He just had to.

"Wait!" She turned to see him having rolled over onto his stomach. "You've met Snow then."

"Snow? Yeah, I know all about him." She crossed her arms. "Serah was his life. With her lost there was nothing for him. Him... I get. You still have someone. You're just too damn childish to care."

A deep sob sounded from him as he buried his face into his hands. The cries were loud and sorrowful. A person who thought they had lost everything but had realized that they had taken for granted the most important thing. Lighting crossed her arms, completely uncomfortable with his display even if that was what she was hoping to gain. Once the tears had faded a bit he sat up slowly, his face a mess.

"Will... will you take me to him. I need... I need to apologize." His eyes were pleading as he wiped at his face. "I... please."

"Give me your swords and let's get going." She ordered as she held her hand out.


	8. Snippet 23

Lightning wasn't the greatest of healers and Noel was worse then her. As he limped behind her, he cursed the fact that he hadn't studied healing magic more. While he wasn't bleeding anymore, the pain in his leg and gut made every step agony and Lightning didn't slow her pace at all. He knew that the older woman was punishing him. He walked as swiftly as he could behind her, his stomach aching the whole way. She occasional glanced behind her. He had a feeling that if he faltered, she would help him.

But Noel rather felt that he deserved the treatment and so he persevered to make it to the transport. Once they'd reached the train station and got on the train he allowed himself to take in the account of his injuries. His right shoulder, his left leg and his abdomen had been hit by the energy bullets she favored. Leaving him with light healed over gunshot wounds. Mostly in pain and probably with light internal bleeding. 

Light sat across from him, his weapons on her right side, putting them the furthest from him. He felt it was overkill but he knew that Lightning was making a statement and it was a harsh one. As the train took off, he realized that they were headed towards the settlements, and the one where Hope had crystalized.

"I... How is he?" He finally asked quietly as he realized that Lightning wasn't planning on talking to him the entire trip.

"Sad." She responded looking over at him with an unreadable look. "And lonely."

Noel swallowed hard and looked down at his hands folded across his stomach. He felt guilty even as he recalled what he had thought about Hope during his infection. Even now, he could still feel chaos and the call of it felt enchanting. But he resisted, mostly due to the pain but also because he knew that Lightning wouldn't let him near Hope if he showed signs of infection.

"He misses you a lot." Her whole countenance softened. "It'll do him good to see you."

"Has he been having nightmares?" Noel broached quietly, he didn't know if Lightning knew everything there was to know about Hope and he didn't want to tell her things that wasn't his right to say.

"A few." She turned away from him and looked out at the swiftly passing scenery. "Mostly about his time as a l'cie... but also some of the time after."

"You know about that?" He asked quietly, he thought it was too soft to hear but she had turned back to him and her face was sorrowful.

"I am the reason that he got his brand back. I wasn't there to protect him when he needed me." She bit her lip roughly as if annoyed with herself for sharing something like that but it made Noel feel much better.

"Thank you for protecting him. You were watching over all of them weren't you?" He looked back down at his hands. He knew he was asking a lot of Lightning. They weren't friends and at this point they were mostly, captive and guard.

"It's not your place to thank me." She bit out harshly as she turned away from him. Noel wisely shut up after that.

*************************

When they finally go to their destination, Noel was in so much pain that he could barely stand. Light cast another two spells over him that got him up. And then took off for the dirt road that would lead to the safe house.

"This will be your final proof." She stated quietly. "No one infected by chaos can enter the safe house. If you can't enter, you'll just stay outside and most likely succumb to chaos again... At which point I probably won't try to save you again."

He swallowed hard. "How did you find such a place?"

"I need a place to hide and a place to keep Hope." She slanted her eyes to look at him. "I have a vested interest in keeping Hope from being infected."

"And what would that be?" Noel asked bitterly.

"His Ark." She didn't talk anymore as they continued the long walk.

Three more times, Light had to cast healing spells on Noel to make the walk. By the time they'd crested the last hill on the way to the safe house, Noel was sweating and his body ached to give into the press of chaos against his skin. But by now the press of chaos had weakened. Even being close to whatever the hell the safe house was, was lessening chaos' influence. And the less of the press, the worse Noel got.

Light turned to him and point to a tree. He leaned against it and sunk down. He stared up at her wondering how she made this hike everyday. She crossed her arms and look away from him. It occurred to him that she probably never had to make this walk. For Light had powers of a God and could probably use the hidden forms of travel. The waylines and the timeless slipstreams.

Things that he couldn't use now that he'd relinquished chaos' hold. He also entertained that there was a faster regular way but she was taking the long way so he couldn't find his way back. Either made him feel more miserable. After about ten minutes she gestured him back up and took off walking again.

Noel cursed as he forced himself up and after her.

When they finally reached the safe house. The door was a dank looking hole, but once they got inside was a strong metal door and when the door shut behind him. Chaos' touch was completely gone. He groaned in pain as his body rebelled. Light caught him as he started shaking and led him into a room and forced him on a bed. She looked him over for a second and then walked away. Leaving him in all his pain.


	9. Snippet 24

Hope sighed as he looked over the latest reports from the Academy super computer. All the people that had originally been on the project had succumbed to chaos and all that was left was the computer, hooked up to secret cameras and continuing it's processes. It was tiring work, shifting through information for things that would be useful to what he and Light were doing.

It was also painful when he came across friends and acquaintances, so different from the people they originally were, consumed by chaos. But there was hope now thankfully, if they could be broken from chaos they could be redeemed. Maybe they wouldn't quite be who they once were, but they would be saved. There would be a chance for them.

The doors burst open to permit Light, scaring the crap out of him. He whipped around and watched Light carefully as she collapsed into a chair and looked him over with tired eyes. In her drop pile was the addition of two familiar swords. He felt his heart clench as he looked at her. She smiled vaguely, sad and tired.

"He's in your room. We were right about his type of exposure to chaos. He looks like an addict coming down. He's also stubborn. He's got some wounds from me but he'll be okay. Mostly just tender now." What she wasn't saying was about how he was the best healer. His magic still persisted without the brand though, he got up to go to his partner but Light held up a hand.

"What is it?" He asked quietly, his heart fluttering in nervous pain.

"He's not safe yet Hope. Be our your guard... Unlike others, his body is addicted to the chaos. You told me that Caius trained him to take his place... So, he's extremely perceptive to it."

"I'll be careful. Just..." He swallowed hard and she nodded. "I can take over from here."

****************************

Noel lay on what he knew was Hope's bed. 200 years and he still smelled the same. Vaguely like machinery and clean and Hope. He pressed his face into the sheet and he wondered rather idly about how he'd managed to stay away for so long. The more he thought about it, the more nervous he became about seeing Hope again. He loved the other man so much and yet he had willingly abandoned him.

In the back of his mind was the realization that he was also protecting Hope. He knew that he'd been close to succumbing to chaos and that, that would endanger the other. And yet he still abandoned him. He still didn't care. And he still absolutely loathed himself from the pain he must have put his partner through. If Hope would even still allow him to be that.

"Noel?" The door opened and the older man's voice was soft, a quiet whispered of nervousness.

He turned over and lifted up slowly, careful of his tender abdomen. Light was only a marginally better healer then he was. Managing to get him up and able to fight, but unable to combat the effects of chaos among other things. He looked at Hope and felt himself choke up. Hope was, he was so beautiful , especially after such a long time.

His hair was shaggy and a little shorter, he was probably cutting it himself. His eyes were wide but sad and his mouth was trembling. His clothes were casual. One of Noel's old shirts from when they lived together and the same type of pants he wore when the Academy was still in power.

"Sweet Etro you are beautiful." Noel whimpered as he sat up more, the pain flaring more in his abdomen.

"You big dumb idiot." Hope moved closer to the bed, he ran a hand through Noel's hair before he kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed and straddled Noel's body, pulling him tightly in his arms.

Noel grit his teeth at the pain but put his arms around Hope and endured it. The older man wasn't talking but he was trembling worse then before. He leaned into Hope's chest and closed his eyes, taking him in. He breathed in deep and loosened his grip, the pain becoming too much.

"Oh? I should heal you." Hope pushed him back onto the bed and laid his hands over Noel and whispered quietly. "Cure."

"Only a cure?" Noel teased as he captured Hope's hand and pulled him down against him.

"You hurt me." Hope whispered miserably as he fell down against Noel's chest. "You can endure a little pain in return."

"I'm sorry Hope." Noel spoke as he wrapped his arms around him tightly and closed his eyes. "I should have never left... I-"

"Stop." Hope sat up and glared Noel down quietly and firmly. "I don't know what happened to break you from chaos' grip. But I know you. And I know what you were going through."

"I hurt you." Noel whispered as he sat up following Hope and cupped his face. "And I knew I would when I left."

"..." Hope sighed and carded Noel's hair gently and smiled at him softly. "You were in so much pain, and there was nothing that could be done about it before now." He smoothed his hands down Noel's chest. "It was hard to admit it but... Even now I'm not what you need."

"Yes you are." Noel leaned forward and kissed him gently. "You are everything I need and more. Lighting was right. I am still a child. And I didn't know how to appreciate you." He stopped Hope before he could say anything. "I left you because I couldn't protect you and I thought that was the right thing to do. But you and Serah and even Yeul could protect yourselves and knew what you were willing to give up. What you were willing to do for this world. And I... I had wanted to be a hero... To Yeul and then to Serah... And my supposed failures... None of that was my call."

"You are right about that." Hope flicked his nose, lightening the somber moment. "People sometimes chose to sacrifice to make their loved ones happy. This isn't the first time that Serah has been lost. She was crystal once remember? And Yeul... being reborn was her great gift to meet more people. To care for them."

"And what of your sacrifice?" Noel asked staring up at him. "You seem to always give with no reward. And the one thing that hurts you the most... I did that to you."

Hope shook his head and kissed Noel's mouth again, slowly. He savored the moment and let his arms wrap around the other. He could feel the younger man's hesitation, not wanting to let the conversation end. Hope continued the kiss until he had his fill and then pulled back slowly and considering Noel for a moment as he brought his breath back under control.

"Very few people have actually left me." Hope spoke quietly. "My mother, my father and Lighting... They never had a choice. Sazh, Snow, Serah... you... Came back. Even Lighting came back in the end. I was lonely yes... And I hurt, but letting people go and become who they need to be is something that has to be done. Maybe you are right and you were a child. And then you were a child stuck without time. Even I could be to blame for keeping you the way you were without letting you grow."

"Don't say that." Noel whispered as he clutched at Hope. "What's happened is my fault, all me. Even when I was away from you, you were with me. Yeah, Lighting gave me a kick in the ass but if I didn't have you to come back to... I don't know if I could have broken free."

Hope smiled at him brightly and then pushed at his nose lightly. "Don't think that this means I'm going to heal you more. Just because it was necessary, and I do think it was... Doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you."


	10. Snippet 25

Noel mostly lives in a kind of numb state. It seemed that Lighting and Hope hadn't been too off when they had said that his body was addicted to chaos. Hope's quiet little base was encased in a kind of bubble that the chaos couldn't' touch. Which sounded all well and good until the shakes and the discomfort and the pain sets in. Unlike others, his body wasn't negatively affected by the chaos. In fact in may ways, he had felt much better when he'd been consumed by it. 

He wasn't allowed outside. And it took him only a day to realize that Hope hardly ever left. He knew where the door was. He didn't know the codes though and it was a twofold misery that he felt. And even if he got outside he wa sure that he couldn't find his way back to civilization, Lightning had made sure of that. He sat up slowly, and looked down at the stark wound across his stomach. Pink and oval shaped, it would probably be gone soon under Hope's magic.

Too bad that didn't stop it from hurting so badly. The door slid open and Hope walked in with a set of books but didn't shut the door behind him. Setting them down on the desk he turned and leaned out.

"Don't go looking for Snow until I contact you! It's not worth it to go alone." He called out and the main door opened.

Slight traces of chaos slipped inside even with the safe house's dampening influence, Noel could feel it and the craving was intense. His body felt deeply heated and he closed his eyes with need. He could feel beads of sweat breaking out on his brow. He could pretend it wasn't there sometimes but now it hurt. The shakes were coming back and so were the pricks of pain. Mostly in his chest. Hope had said it had to do with him being primed to take Etro's heart but he had a feel that it was just the shitty luck he got dealt.

"Hey, breathe." Hope murmured as he he laid a hand on the hunter's cheek. Noel pushed the hand away, wincing as his body throbbed deeply. He dug his hands into the sheets trying to ignore the pain that was rolling in his stomach now.

Hope touched him again, this time putting his hand on his back. The touch was accompanied by a flash of a cure spell. Weakening the pain but upping the sweat dripping down his face. The scientist stroked his back and gently stroked his naked skin. Noel closed his eyes as the soothing feel of another cure spell crossed his skin.

Hope smiled fondly, it was easy like this to pretend that Noel had gotten injured doing something dumb. Not the withdraw that he was suffering from. It was also good for Hope, taking care of Noel allowed for the scientist to focus on something else. And also, to face his demons with the backing of the knowledge that Noel was safe, with him.

More importantly not dead or consumed with chaos.

With a deep sigh, Noel finally gave in and collapsed onto the bed. Weak, but past the worst part of the current craving, he laid against the sheets breathing lightly. Hope sighed softly and stroked his brow.

"You should eat." He murmured softly and Noel waved a hand lightly in disagreement. His stomach shifted badly at just the thought of trying to eat. He swallowed hard and slowly rolled on his back to turn and look at the scientist.

"Too sick." He spoke weakly and Hope nodded quietly as he stroked the hunter's face.

"I know, but just a little broth before I have to go help Lighting okay?" Hope murmured as he stood up and left to goo heat up some of the broth he'd made earlier.

Noel moaned and weakly tried to call Hope back. He didn't want to be alone. He'd managed to get himself to sit up and tried to move more but his body rejected any such movement. His arms began to tremble and he collapsed back into the sheets as they gave out. When Hope came back he saw Noel looking worse then before, his brow matted sweaty hair and his face creased in pain.

The scientist set the warmed bowl down and gently laid his hands on the hunter's cheeks and cast yet another cure spell. It was mostly futile, Noel thought idly, the amount of magic that Hope was wasting on him. After the spell had had it's meager affects, anything stronger made Noel worse. The silver haired man helped his partner to lean against his chest and slowly helped him to drink the lukewarm liquid.

Hope hummed lightly as he helped him. Part of him felt nervous because it seemed that Noel wasn't getting better or worse. In reality he knew that addiction and withdrawal took a long time, even years to subside. The difference was that Noel wasn't really addicted to chaos. Trained to take over the heart of Etro, the heart of chaos... His body was made to house chaos.

Most likely, Hope theorized that it wasn't that his body was addicted, it was that his body might very well be broken. Eventually, he thought with heartache, they would have to figure out what exactly Caius had done to him. The mage put down the bowl and gently stroked his partner's hair and kissed his head.

"Hope." The voice was soft, fading. Noel usually didn't stay awake for long periods of time anymore. He looked down at him and smiled gently. He knew it would make Noel feel better to think that everything was going okay.

"I love you." He whimpered as he drifted off. Hope nodded against his head and murmured his own response. They would make it, Hope swore to himself, he wouldn't accept anything less.


	11. Snippet 26

Noel was not one to step aside and wait. He wanted to be out there, fighting and helping. He wanted to be well, one of the heroes. It was hard to admit that he had such a childish dream. He hated any kind of comparison that could be made between him and Snow with a passion. But he was much more like the older man then he thought.

Even crazed with chaos, Snow was still protecting people the best way he knew how. Even if it wasn't the most helpful thing he could do. Noel admitted (to himself only) a grudging admiration for the other.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Hope asked as he sat down beside him on the bed. Today was one of his weak days. He felt barely able to get up.

"Snow." He replied as he turned on his side and placed his head in Hope's lap. "And how he actually turned out to be a pretty decent guy."

"He was always a good guy." Hope carded a hand through his hair. "It's almost over you know? 12 hours left." 

"What about the others?" Noel sat up.

"We're going to wait it out on Gran Pulse. Light will send a message when she's ready for us. This place will most likely be destroyed."

"But..." Noel laid his hand over Hope's cheek and sighed softly. "I promised to protect them and I failed."

"You didn't fail Noel. You keep them safe until they did their part to save the world. It hurts but that's the way things are. Growing up hurts Noel. You know that. And I know how you feel."

"Don't say that." Noel rolled away from him and Hope sighed lightly and reached a hand out and placed it on Noel's back.

"A long time ago... A really long time now. I told someone that I would protect them. I was too young to know what that meant, to even begin to take on such a task. I couldn't even fight." He laughed lightly to himself. "But I promised with my whole being. And then I failed. Chaos, long before it even invaded this world... Took Light away from me, from all of us. I promised to protect her, but I couldn't. Hell, I still can't... Not in the way that I want to."

He felt Noel seize up, he knew it was nerves and probably also jealousness. The way he talked about Lighting sometimes... hell they way they interacted would give anyone the wrong idea. He smiled thinly as he thought about how Lighting saved him yet again.

"And when she came to me, to all of us. The first thing she did was save my ass. It was kind of embarrassing." He moved up against Noel's back and hugged the taller man to him. "And then I realized that I was protecting her. Just not in the way that I thought. Light doesn't need someone to physically protect her. She needs someone to emotionally protect her."

"Serah's waiting for us." Hope smiled thinly. "She'll be happy to see you... So you've got to let go."

"I..."

"Serah's almost death... Yeul's death was not your fault. That was the way our world worked back then. The Goddess chose for this to happen to them. And we, we were not strong enough to fight a Goddess." He kissed Noel's back and pressed his head between his shoulder blades.

"If you don't let go of the guilt, of all the responsibility that Caius heaped on you, betraying everything that he was supposed to do. Lying to you about what the world was supposed to be like. When you step out that door chaos could swallow you again. And if it does... I'll lose you for real this time. Don't make me go through that."

"What could I possibly make you do." Noel brought his hands up and clutched Hope's hands. He stared at the wall quietly and felt as Hope pressed up against him fully. The quiet stretched out and for the first time in the three days that he'd been here, he felt relaxed. He felt safe and protected. He swallowed hard. 

"I know... I know that there was nothing that I could do for Yeul. I know that that was her purpose. That she wasn't meant to live long. But I... I wanted to be selfish, I wanted her to stay with me."

"Were you in love with her?" Hope asked quietly.

"Maybe? Though out the travels that Serah and I've had, I've realized that what was happening to her was stronger then me. I left 700AF because I was selfish. I didn't want to be alone. I didn't want to die alone." He clutched at Hope's hands tighter. "And with Serah... I... I wanted to redeem myself through her. And I couldn't. I couldn't do anything."

"You've done so much." Hope whispered quietly. "If you hadn't helped me, 700AF would have happened. You saved the future. Yes, there is this horrible in between, where we are stuck without time... but if Caius was still here, he would stop at nothing to tear the world apart. His death... had to happen. That was your responsibility."

"And now Light will take us home." Noel muttered miserably his childishness guilt returning.

"Yes." The hunter could practically hear the slight happiness in Hope's voice. "We're going home."

In a fast move, Noel rolled over and on top of Hope pushing the scientist down into the sheets. Hope stared up at him with breathless surprise. He could see the light in Noel's eyes again. He knew this wasn't over. That Noel still had so much to recover from, but it gave him hope that he hadn't had before.

"Hey... In the new world... Can we live together again?" Noel brought his body down fully on top of Hope and kissed him deeply. "Or will I still be under punishment."

"I would say yes but... I think I'm going to need a bodyguard who's good with swords since I no longer have my l'cie abilities." He cupped Noel's cheeks and pulled him back down again. "I love you Noel...so much."


	12. Snippet 27

Hope swallowed hard as he sat down next to a sleeping Noel. Light had told him that it was nearly over. In a few hours it would be time for the change to happen. They would have to go outside and pass judgement. Only then would they be able to be taken into the new world. And sense everything that was created during the chaos infection would be destroyed.

They couldn't stay here. But the handful of days that they had Noel and that wasn't enough to even begin to fight the type of addiction that his body had. He stroked the sweat covered brow. It didn't sit right with him that Noel was suffering so much but he knew that there wasn't really anything that he could do. Only escaping the chaos would make things better.

"Hey." He looked up to see Lightning watching them fondly, she nodded vaguely. "You two are cute together."

"Light!" He grumbled as he turned away from her, a flush covering his cheeks.

"You're worried." She spoke quietly as she walked over and settled down on the bed. The hunter didn't move at all and that caused her neutral expression to turn into a frown. "I can understand why."

"What happens if he is repossessed? You said that it wouldn't be pretty for the people we can't save what will that look like?"

Lightning looked away and then gently reached out and took Hope's free hand, the one not touching Noel. She traced her fingers over his hands and it brought back memories to both of them of the things they faced in the Gapra Whitewood. She looked over at Noel and then finally up at Hope with a determined expression.

"It doesn't matter. He won't fall." She squeezed his hand but Hope shook his head.

"I need to know Light... I can't protect him if I don't know everything." He insisted.

She sighed softly and looked away. "He'll die."

"And." Hope hissed as he brought his other hand up to grip hers.

Light bit her lip in indecision. What she knew was damning and painful. What she feared was that this wouldn't help Noel but push Hope over the edge. She finally sighed, know that there was no way to change his mind and that it was either give in or be badgered until she gave in. Hope had grown into a firm serious man and as much as she wanted to not see it. She had to treat him like who he was.

"He'll die..." She started again. "Maybe. Most people will die simply with their souls taken from their bodies. Others might turn into cie'th as they have become something like 'l'cie' to the chaos but ultimately will die as soon as the sun of the new world touches them... Others will die painfully, extinguished by Bhunivelze's power.

"Noel falls into that last category doesn't he?" Hope asked quietly.

"He falls into a category of his own." She stated quietly. "Noel, as the container of chaos... If he allows it back in... it'll be sucked into him... He will become a monster. The terror he would bring upon us before he is destoryed by the change would be horrific. He would die in a horrible way Hope... The things I know, the things I have seen. The monster that he would become he... not only would he die, his soul would be removed from the cycle. I won't let that happen." She insisted.

"Then you should probably leave me here." The voice was soft and weak. Both snapped to see Noel looking at them with a pained look on his face. He pushed himself slowly into a sitting position. "If I am that much of a danger then it is not worth it."

"It is worth it!" Hope insisted as he turned to face his partner. "I won't leave you behind."

"Hey... don't give me that look." Noel rapped his knuckles against Hope's head gently. "It's not like I should exist anymore anyways."

Hope's eyes widened at Noel's words, while what the hunter was saying was true he'd assumed that none of that matter. He turned to Lightning and she shook her head before she smacked Noel rather abruptly, causing the hunter to fall back onto the bed with a pained grunt.

"You exist because that is the way things are. We aren't going back to the old world, to the way things were then. We are going to a 'new world'... one that will only look like the old one. The rules will be different. And all of us will be divorced from these roots that you think you have. And if you are going to use that as an excuse to be left behind I will shoot you right now."

"LIGHTNING!" Hope turned to her and reached for her hands, obviously afraid that she was going to follow through with that threat but Noel was laughing lightly as he stared up at the ceiling. He pushed himself up again and looked at them for a second and stared down at his hands.

"It's not that I don't want to go. It's not that I don't believe in my own power. But if I falter, if I fail... The first person that will be hurt is you Hope.... And who knows what other damage that I would cause? Look at what Caius did and that was with chaos contained."

"You won't fall." Hope replied quietly as he released Lightning and placed his hands on his partner's shoulders. "I believe in you."

"If you did, you wouldn't have asked Lightning for a worse case scenario." Noel replied quietly without any bite. "It's okay to admit it. I'm weak."

"And so was Hope went I first met him." Lightning bit off roughly as she glared him down. "I was even dumb enough at the time to write him off." Lightning reached for her gun. "Either you try or you die right now."

Hope stared between the two with wide eyes. He felt his heart beating against his chest painfully. He turned away from Light to Noel and gripped his arms tightly staring into his downcast eyes. He wanted to say something but find that he couldn't speak.

Please Noel, he thought, please try.

"I love you Hope." A kiss was gently placed on his temple and Hope felt his heart in his throat. "I'll try, but you have to promise to kill me the second I look as if I'm going to turn."


	13. Snippet 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, here's the last 3...

"Wow... I didn't expect you all to look so different." Serah's voice was a godsend to hear, Snow was racing for her immediately, unable to believe what had happened. He scooped her up into his arms spinning her around. She laughed gratefully and kissed him hard.

"I guess that wedding might actually happen." Light commented as she slid her eyes to Hope with a sly grin, just as small as all her other smiles. "Maybe a double wedding?"

Hope flushed and began to sputter. "Light!" He gasped and glared at her and she laughed quietly with her hand over her mouth.

"Look!" Sazh commented as the rest of the darkness of chaos had receded. Bhunivelze was high in the sky but Academia stood below it looking like it had been abandoned for 500 years sadly. The ruins were probably unrecoverable.

"Don't worry." Sarah smiled lightly. "Inside of Bhunivelze wasn't affected by the chaos like Academia was. Everything inside is as it should be. I just knew though that you would appear here."

Light smiled and wrapped her arm around her sister once Snow had finally calmed down. "I guess it's time for the real work to begin."

As they began to walk towards the launch point to make it to Bhunivelze where they would begin the task of creating a new society. Noel couldn't help but hang behind. Noticing his hesitancy Hope turned but Noel shook his head. Light on the other hand stopped and waited for him to catch up with her.

"I just have one question..." Noel stated quietly and she nodded for him to continue. "What did you mean by 'the warriors of Bhunivlze' back when we fought?" He asked as they began to walk together.

"I meant what I said... Yeul, Serah and Caius were the chosen of Etro, given tasks that supported what she wanted to accomplish. We... Snow, Sazh, Daijh, Fang, Vanille, Hope... you and me. We were the chosen of Bhunivelze. Chosen to destroy the hold that the Fal'cie had over humanity. It took all of us, as well as the destruction of what Etro had brought down... Freeing us from our crystal prison early, instead of letting us wait until 500AF as we were supposed to."

"So what you're trying to say... is that everything was her fault?"

"I would have said that a long time ago. But... she was lonely. And she lost sight of her goals. Bhunivelze had to give her and us a whole New World, free of his mistakes. And that's what he did."

"HEY! It's about time you all showed up!" A familiar voice shouted from the launchpad. Hope stopped with his eyes wide as Fang stood just as tall and wild as she'd always been. Vanille beside her waving happily.

"Now we're really ready to begin!" Serah said as she took in the surprise on all of their faces. "Let's get to work!"


	14. Snippet 29

Noel kicked off his sandals as he stepped into the living room of the apartment that he shared with Hope. Since coming to the 'New World,' it honestly didn't look any different on the surface, minus the missing Fal'cie and the occasional changes that happened down on Gran Pulse. It was odd. In this new world, humanity was stuck on Bhunivelze and would be for some time. According to Serah from what she had been told while in crystal sleep, Gran Pulse had to reform itself to not rely on Fal'cie technology.

Either way, it made going down there dangerous and only certain groups of people were allowed. He was allowed because he was in the Guardian Corps now and was most of the investigation team. Hope on the other hand was back in the revived Academy, not as the Director anymore but still attempting to create new technology. It was comfortable. And fun even, this new life.

"Noel? Are you home?" Hope called as he exited the kitchen, looking rather tired.

"I thought you weren't coming home til late?" The hunter asked as he approached the other and placed his hand on his forehead.

"Apparently, when sick one should be at home according to Raine which makes her almost as ridiculous as Alyssa once was." He grumbled even as Noel's eyes widened.

"You remember Alyssa?" The hunter asked as he cocked his head to the side, the scientist stared at him in confusion.

"Who is Alyssa?" He asked and Noel shook his head, Hope's memories from those 500 years... well the years of it that he was conscious would probably never be complete. Instead Noel cupped his face and kissed his warm forehead.

"Maybe you should lay down for a while instead of working." He kissed the man before he could protest. "Just a brief nap, I'll make some sop for dinner."

"Noel I'm fine." The silver haired man grumped but Noel shook his head.

"Sleep now or I'll cast a sleep spell on you. My magic use has gotten better remember." Noel stated firmly causing the scientist to grumble. Noel laughed softly, it wasn't like he'd had anything else to do in those 500 years of stactic life then to learn more about Hope's time and magic.

Hope finally just nodded tiredly and headed for the bedroom.

***********************

"What do you think happened to Etro?" Hope asked quietly as he stared up at the night sky. Lightning sat beside him staring up at the oddly shifting land of Gran Pulse. She sighed thoughtfully, but Hope could wait, he'd gotten very good at that.

"I think... that she's suffering." Lightning said after a while. "She betrayed Bhunivelze's plans for us just as much as the Cocoonian Fal'cie had."

"Then I think I feel sorry for her." Hope commented quietly as he pulled his knees up to his chest. "I guess she reminds me of bit of Noel. All he wanted was to not be alone. All she did was feel sorry for us."

"I know, but because of who we are... We were supposed to sleep until 500AF. She ruined his plans and it cost all of us in the form of Caius completing his goals because we weren't there to stop him and to stop the fall."

"Could we have really done it?" Hope was thinking out loud now. "What would us having been there really done?"

"I don't know." She admitted quietly. "Especially since I think no one else would have had your drive to replace Cocoon... or save Vanille and Fang. I'm actually surprised we didn't turn into crystal after all of this anyways."

"What do you mean?" Hope asked as he looked back over at her.

"Surely you've noticed? How we're all much more powerful then others. Played up to strengths that we've had when we were l'cie. We are Bhunivelze's l'cie. And we'll be needed again in the future. But I don't know anymore how that will work."

"Well we're all aging so maybe... We'll be reborn? Afterall creating this world restored the cycle of life and death. And surely Bhunivelze must understand that one Caius was bad enough but six-"

"Seven... Seven warriors. The soldier, the mage, the elder, the wildling, the dragoon, the guardian and the hunter." She smiled at him gently, seven to be the chosen and to keep the world safe when no one else can."

"Makes us sound like superheroes." The silver haired man frowned but then his look turned thoughtful as he studied the structure of the dome that made this new ark. "I guess humanity can't live without some kind of mythology, a touch of the unknown to remind us that gods still exist."

"Maybe so." Lightning murmured as she reached out and squeezed his hands. "But isn't it comforting to know, that you're comrades will always be there? I'm sure that where Bhunivelze's chosen ones go... Etro's can't be far behind.

**********************

"Noel." The paler man moaned as he rolled over and pressed his face against a bare chest. "Turn off the alarm."

"Why is it even set?" Noel grumped back as he slapped his hand durn and turned the stupid thing off abruptly. He glared at it for a moment and then shoved it off the nightstand causing it to unplug as it crashed to the ground.

"I must have forgot." Hope admitted quietly. "...you tired me out last night, how was I supposed to think after that."

The smile that Noel gave him was predatory as he let his hands slid don to his lover's bottom and squeezed gently. Hope groaned softly, pushing back into those hands and the hunter then shifted his lover to full straddle his body.

"You say I tired you out but it looks like you haven't had enough." The dark haired man teased as a swollen erection rubbed up against his own.

"Shut up Noel." Hope buried his face into his lover's chest and the taller man couldn't help but laugh.

"We've been together for what? 600 years? And you still act like this?"

"358 thanks to whatever the hell Bhunivelze has chosen for us." He leaned into his lover. "I think I'm mostly impressed that you never get tired of me. And quit adding the years when we were separated by chaos."

"How can I not?" Noel asked as he teasing slid his fingers towards sensitive areas. "You waited for me all that time." A kissed to the side of Noel's head. "And I thought of you every day."

"Noel?" Hope propped his head up and looked down at his lover and then kissed his mouth gently. "I love you."

"I love you too." The hunter whispered. "Sorry for making you wait."


	15. Snippet 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all the readers, etc, etc... Now time to start focusing more on 14th Ark

"You know... I often wonder if we are going to die." Noel murmured, as he looked over at Hope. "It kind of feels like we never will."

"We're only in our 30s Noel, don't speculate so soon." Hope replied with a fond smile and ruffled his lover's hair. "And plus now that we are in a normal timeline it should all be okay."

"I guess." Noel bit into his bottom lip and as he stared out into the waves. Their vacation to the beach had been going rather well. Seeing Serah and Snow hadn't been too much of a disaster. Considering that Snow as willing to take the fall when both the scientist and hunter ganged up him with their snarky personalities. With a soft sigh he reached out and took Hope's hand.

"It just doesn't feel like it should end. That his normal life is okay." He shushed the other and continued. "I mean... Lightning once said that we were Bhunivelze's chosen so...?"

Hope sighed deeply and squeezed his lover's hand tightly. He knew what Noel was taking about, something that had often troubled his thoughts in secret throughout the last 13 days of the old world as well as the nearly 10 years they'd now been in this new world. Gathering his thoughts he shifted until he was curled up into Noel.

"Our purpose as Bhunivelze's shoulders was to fear the world of the chains of the old ones." He kissed the hunter's shoulder. "And thus when he needs us it is for a matter that is more threatening then anything else. Such as what Caius does was troubling but not enough to make the old god care until it brought the world to the brink of destruction."

"And what does all that mean?" Noel asked grumpily.

"It means that something more dire then anything we could hope to know must happen. Through the old way... The way of the l'cie we would need to be crystalized. And now that Bhunivelze's controls the soul cycle... Or maybe Etro does again... Who knows? There is no way of knowing if we will continue to be his chosen... If someone else will be picked... All I know is that stasis is off the table."

Noel thought to comment and then he shut his mouth and stared out at the slowly sinking sun again. The quiet stretched on and somehow in that time they slowly shifted until Noel was resting his head in the mage's lap as Hope gently twirled his fingers in the others hair. Finally Hope sighed deeply.

"What's really troubling you Noel? I know that you don't care about the mysterious ways of gods." The silver haired man sat as he looked down into cool eyes.

"I was thinking about my guilt." The hunter replied quietly. "And what it would mean if we are tied to the gods forever. I think of the fact that Yuel is permanently gone as is Caius as is my whole world." He tilted his head back father. "How can I be a chosen when I don't exist?"

"But you do exist. And so do Caius and Yuel. Just because they have been removed from the soul cycle to help rule the unseen realm doesn't mean they never existed here. We all have our role to play Noel." Hope pressed a warm hand against his cheek and brought their eyes back together. "What has happened it what has happened."

"I realize..." Noel stared as he set up. "That what I feel is not guilt but grief. I grieve because I was placed in a position to watch the people I know and love die and leave me. And when I was brought to the place that I needed to be... It seemed like I was cursed to do so again."

"Noel." Hands cupped the younger man's face.

"And yet I know why. All of us... All of us had to lose everything. Our parents... Our connections to people other then us... Until all that was left was us and our purpose. It's not... It's not my place to feel guilty for things that a cruel god has done."

Hope swallowed as he felt his own eyes burn at Noel's words. In many ways what he said was true. The only people allowed to be close to them and live were those who were also chosen. He pulled his lover into his arms.

"I guess what I'm trying to say... Is that I've leaned to let go. Let go of the guilt of the pain that has been shadowing my heart. I know that my parents... My village and even Yuel and Serah... Knowing what this world is now... No one I know, would sacrifice this for a few more years of life in suffering and the end of the world."

"It's a very wise thing." Hope replied with a bitter laugh. "But cruel as well. It's a lesson I had to learn to... Though if you remember I sometimes rejected it. Bhunivelze requires sacrifice... Maybe not in the horrible way the Fal'cie did... but suffering all the same."

"...Hope?" Noel asked quietly as he curled his arms tight around his lover and at the answering murmured him continued. "I'm glad that you are one of the people that stay. It may sound selfish... but you are the thing that has kept me going."

Hope found himself grinning against Noel's neck as he clung to his lover just as tightly. It was very romantic the scientist thought. To know that Noel has freed himself from his chains and that this at least for now, this was their happy ending.

"Hey Hope?" Noel asked again, his voice teasing this time. "Maybe I should talk to Light about that wedding?"

"I will set you on fire."


End file.
